New Netflix horror series was the work of a TU alum

By Rebecca Kirkman on October 17, 2018

Not only have critics described Netflix’s new horror series “The Haunting of Hill
House” as “spooky” and “scary as hell”—it’s also “by far the most complex and complete
horror series of its time,” according to a review in The Telegraph.

Written and directed by electronic media and film (EMF) alumnus Michael Flanagan ’02, the 10-episode Netflix original series debuted
to critical acclaim on Friday, Oct. 12.

In his loose adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel of the same name, Flanagan
turns the classic haunted house genre on its head with layers of intricate family
relationships.

“I hope audiences will absolutely embrace a truly complex human story that happens
to be wrapped in the skin of horror,” said Flanagan in a Netflix-produced featurette
about directing the series.

The recipient of the College of Fine Arts and Communication’s 2016 Deans’ Recognition
Award, Flanagan’s recent directing credits include “Gerald’s Game” (2017), “Hush”
(2016) and “Ouija: Origin of Evil” (2016).

But he filmed his first feature-length project, “Makebelieve” (2000), while attending
TU.

“I made my first feature as an undergrad with the support of the faculty and students,
and without that experience—and many others—I don’t think I ever would have made it,”
Flanagan recalls. “When I moved to Los Angeles after graduation (with a handful of
other TU alums) I had the skill set to get employed as an editor, which was the only
way I survived those first five years in LA.”

An amateur filmmaker and an avid consumer of horror novels and films from a young
age, Flanagan says he entered the university with plans to become a high school history
teacher. It was an elective film course taught by former EMF chair Barry Moore that
inspired him to pursue filmmaking as a career.

“Towson has an enormous impact on me—it taught me how to be a filmmaker,” Flanagan
said. “I credit the teachers and other students from my time in the department for
giving me the skills and the confidence that eventually became my career.”

For “The Haunting of Hill House” and four other projects, Flanagan partnered with
screenwriter and TU alumnus Jeff Howard ’92. “Jeff and I were introduced by a mutual
friend, and we’ve often joked that we went to the same college, only eight years apart,”
said Flanagan. “We kept in touch over the years and when I moved to LA he reached
out to see if there was something we could do together, and that partnership fell
together fast. It took us years to sell a script, but it taught me a ton about patience.”

Flanagan’s next film is “Doctor Sleep” starring Ewan McGregor, a sequel to author
Stephen King’s “The Shining.” The film will be released in January 2020.